This invention concerns a device to discard short bars.
The device to discard short bars according to the invention is applied advantageously to means which feed bars, such as conveyor chain means for instance, so as to discard bars of a length shorter than a pre-set length.
The state of the art covers the problem of having to discard, from a plurality of bars being fed side by side in a direction at a right angle to the lengthwise extent of the bars on a plurality of conveyor chain means, the bars which are too short to meet the requirements of a pre-determined length.
In fact, the bars which are not of the right length have to be discarded so as to be able to ensure the formation of bundles of bars consisting only of bars having a given minimum length according to the requirements laid down.
The bars which are too short are discarded at the present time by making the plurality of bars travel side by side on a plurality of substantially horizontal conveyor chains which include at a certain point a separation channel having its axis parallel to the axis of the bars being fed and therefore substantially perpendicular to the direction of feed of the bars.
Bridge-type supporting means are included at the separation channel, are fitted suitably spaced apart crosswise and extend by a length enough to straddle the separation channel fully.
The transverse distance between the supporting means is such that the bars longer than the required minimum length rest at their ends on the supporting means, with which are associated chains that carry out the feed of the bars.
The bars which do not reach the pre-set minimum length fall when they arrive at the separation channel, since they are no longer upheld by the conveyor chains or by the lateral supporting means.
But this system entails the problem that the bars which have a suitable length but too small a cross-section and which are supported only at their ends by the supporting means bend at their centre and create problems at the time when they should cooperate with the feeder means positioned downstream of the separation channel.